Pooja KOHLI wrote:

I agree 0 Carisa was better than Matt at this contest===
What's up Bravo - scared of taking risks - are we?

posted on April 11, 2007 at 11:53 PM

Garrett wrote:

I LOVED reading your blog this whole season, especially all of the obscure or quasi-obscure allusions. Verboten? Get out! I'd always eagerly await 11:00 CDT when the blog would be updated every Wendesday. There'd better be more next season.

posted on April 12, 2007 at 12:16 AM

sitapita wrote:

Hilarious....and I almost have the same mags on my coffee table as do you. Only, sadly, I actually read mine (the results of not being a lively young assistant like yourself). Your blogs have rocked!!!!

posted on April 12, 2007 at 12:43 AM

ThymeHBF wrote:

Couldn't have said it better myself! I am closer to Matt's age than Carissa's but I would MUCH rather live in her loft!

posted on April 12, 2007 at 1:13 AM

juni wrote:

I'll miss your blog--you really are a funny guy. What makes you so funny are your smarts. I agree that Matt's loft was the formal museum piece that he has created in the past. I don't see people relaxing and having fun in his spaces. More like sittin upright like dolls in a row, the way the judges looked sitting on those chairs. Poker-stiff mannequins. Whereas Carissa's space invited people to relax and have fun. There was a sense of humor on display.

The white furniture was not in keeping with real life relaxation though, as you would always be aware of all that white and its potential to stain.

posted on April 12, 2007 at 9:54 AM

Becky wrote:

Long live you and your blog! They must have you write again next season. Every week I looked foward to reading your blog after the show. You seemed to me the most honest, tell it like it is guy in that whole bunch. You are funny and just plain awesome!!!!

posted on April 12, 2007 at 10:28 AM

Terry wrote:

I will miss reading your blog! Have a great summer, any chance you will get an assistant job on Top Chef or Project Runway?

posted on April 12, 2007 at 10:31 AM

Terry wrote:

I will miss reading your blog! Have a great summer, any chance you will get an assistant job on Top Chef or Project Runway?

posted on April 12, 2007 at 10:35 AM

Laurie B. wrote:

I have really enjoyed your blog... Your perspective on each show and the "behind the scenes" commentary was enlightening and very funny. And dead on. I always read your blog first... I'll miss you. Maybe you'll want to continue and keep us up to date on what you're doing... Take care and good luck on your next adventure...

posted on April 12, 2007 at 10:48 AM

anne wrote:

Noooooooo! You can't leave us!
What are you doing now?

posted on April 12, 2007 at 11:11 AM

Lynn wrote:

I am so going to miss you...now I have to watch "Whose Line is is Anyway" for my laughs. Thank you for today's Gollum hand and "tense, elegant silence" comments. I almost fell off my uber-cheesy chair. I agree with you about Matt's design, although I liked him better than Carisa (design-wise and personality- now I've gone all reality tv) and was rooting for him to win. Actually, from what we could see from here, I thought Carisa knocked it out of the park, speakers, bed, kitchen, cork wall, and see thru panels ala her earlier hotel suite. I felt it was more cohesive and more true to her style than Matt's. On Jonathan's blog he said Matt's was unbelievable in person so I think that was probably true but I couldn't get a sense of it as one really well-designed space, too fragmented for a loft despite the needs of the family. Carisa got it with her repeating squares theme, very fun and pop. I wonder why we all like Matt so much. It was obvious from day one that he is an extraordinarily likable guy and the judges just weren't going to later him. Of course, I picked Ilan for the winner of Top Chef from episode one, also seemed like a great no-drama kind of guy until he turned into a raving Marcel-hating baby. Oh well, different show. Matt stayed pretty nice to the end but he showed an edge several times throughout. I think he's a smart one and knew when to duck out and when to insinuate credit, more politically savvy than I think the judges realized. And yes, he sure did hit the family thing hard, which kind of gives him an automatic pass on certain questionable design calls because this was what was needed for his family's lifestyle. Who could argue with that? I thought CPF, the former mayor, accepted the runner-up position with a lot of grace and sportsmanship. It had to be an enormous disappointment but I think she read the writing on the wall early: it was going to be Matt, period. At the end, I missed the presence of Michael who I adored, very funny, smart, and outspoken, and Eric who for my money had some of the sharpest skills and was maybe the calmest, most focussed guy there. Also the best sport. Would have liked to see what he would have done with the later challenges. Again, I always have problems with the judges automatically booting the leader who steps up to the plate for the losing design. Creates all kinds of ducking and weaving from the contestants.
I'll miss the show, your blog in spades, and I don't think people doing hair is going to fill the Wednesday night void.

posted on April 12, 2007 at 12:09 PM

elena wrote:

I am a lot older than any of you (55, to be exact) but agree totally. Matt was boring, always the same. Most of the walls in his loft were blank. His dauhter's room? Puleeeeese! Where were the kid touches? The kitchen, though was great. Other than the kitchen, Carissa won hand's down. Her loft was a space for living, even for an AARP member like me.

posted on April 12, 2007 at 12:42 PM

Barbara Davidson wrote:

Did anyone notice that Carissa used Andrea's dining room from the chef's table for her loft, or if she didn't, it was damned near close.

Was it possible they kept Carissa because she was more interesting than Andrea, while Andrea was clearly more talented.

Also, they shouldn't have gotten rid of Eric so early. He had more talent than many who "died" after him. I feel the same about the blonde who got dispatched from the show after designing a design student's room. C'mon. She wasn't that bad. What's so bad about a granny quilt??????????

posted on April 12, 2007 at 1:47 PM

pen wrote:

I feel that both Carisa's and Matt's lofts reflected their styles accurately. But when it came down to it, Matt relied on CRAMMING the cuteness of his family down the throats of everyone involved because family themes carry credibility and priority with so many people. I think Carisa's loft looked more inviting, creative, welcoming, and fun. I honestly believe Carisa was short-changed here. But, as one other writer noted, even she saw the handwriting on the wall a long time ago (sorry hon, but it's going to go to Matt and family no matter what), she still gave it her all and she will hopefully thrive as an interior designer in the real world now that she has received exposure through Top Design. BTW, my opinion of Matt and Andrea changed a lot in the last several episodes. Both had no problem revealing their winner-take-all, screw-you attitude about their own talents and the talents of their fellow designers--they came off as quite grasping, arrogant, and somehat creepy. Overall, though, I liked it and will happily watch a second season of Top Design, if there is one.

posted on April 12, 2007 at 5:40 PM

Sarkika wrote:

Summer Camp's over? But I've just perfected my spitball!
Thank you for your coffee-aspirating humor. I've appreciated every whack.

After last night, I just thought: Carisa got a bum deal: on screen, her place was amazing, and Matt's just wasn't. I know she will have a future of inventive designs and magazine covers. She made modern appealing, which it oft fails shy of.

posted on April 12, 2007 at 5:57 PM

michael wrote:

First of all, Barbara Davidson, though I did notice the same design for the dining room, I also agree with the judge who said that while Andrea was a talented architect, her interior design skills were not quite up to par, to paraphrase.

Clarisa's designs were fun and upbeat, as opposed to Andrea's who created bland and confusing interiors. I think the top 2 were the best choice and Matt seemed to be the only one, or best at it, that seemed to know that to be a Top Design, you had to have Top Taste in Interiors, while the rest of them seemed to be concentrating on how to use the carpenters to create things that only took up time and resources.

posted on April 13, 2007 at 2:28 AM

FanFare wrote:

Dear Mr. Assistant,

Thank you for your 2 cents (actually worth much more...).
Your insider info helped to better understand the episode.
I thought both lofts showed the designers' true selves. Matt's was cold, sterile, univiting; like a museum (or mauseleum). Carisa's was funky, period. Neither completely wowed me.

I preferred Carisa's cook's kitchen (plenty of storage), to Matt's (missing storage) cold cucina. While I appreciated Carisa's open and airy floor plan, the elements were hackneyed and silly: (a white furry throw rug laying on the black dining room table with "those" white chairs (ala Andrea), a ping pong table without the ping pong equipment, the bedroom with only a pillow pit. You're right that she definitely missed the details... It appeared that she ran out time, or gas (again)!

Matt's place was claustriphobic, and choppy. The bathroom was the most attractive room. The "little girl" room was special . Believe me, most little girls would really love those colors (albeit spacially deprived). I like the photo wall too. However, I didn't realize that all of the px were of his precious daughter. To each, his own!

The most surprising part of the show was certainly NOT the outcome. Everyone knew that Matt would win, because the judges showed their bias toward him early on. It was the exit comments from both designtestants. Carisa eloquently accepted her defeat with grace and humility. Conversely, Matt pompously preened like a peacock to the camera, "Really, there is NO Surprise that I WON!" It appears that these two reversed roles: Carisa became humble and kind, while Matt morphed into a near villain. His head is so big, it might not fit through the door.

Ciao!

posted on April 13, 2007 at 9:54 AM

Michelle wrote:

Gollum hands? cuddle puddle & cocktails? You totally ROCK, DUDE!

posted on April 13, 2007 at 3:59 PM

condoblogger wrote:

Hey Bro,

OUTSTANDING job with the blog. Seriously, the most entertaining part of this show was getting your take on it.

I sincerely hope that you will be back for season 2, and if not you'll keep blogging about whatever life brings you next. You have a great way with words, all the way down to the not so slightly vieled Bill and Ted reference!

My blogroll and I will really miss you.

posted on April 13, 2007 at 4:52 PM

henry wrote:

matt's exit interviews didn't seem to be anything like him. was he tired or maybe sort of tipsy?
he was slurring words.
why would the producers want to show that?

i think bravo would want matt to seem like a professional dersigner not a jerk. he seems like a talented guy. and he aced the project!

posted on April 15, 2007 at 1:08 AM

kathy wrote:

Bye, Assistant! I'll miss you! I hope you return for next season. Your blog was hilarious, always on point, and refreshingly free of snooty designer blige. + GREAT DISH! I am double Carissa's age, and a couple of decades past Matt's and I would SO rather live in Carissa's loft. It was fun, funky, and easily her best design of the show. I couldn't stand her personally, but I felt she pulled it off in the clinches. Matt's loft, like all his designs, felt like a magazine shoot & not like real life. Who would live there? Not me! As for Mrs. Sting as a guest judge, that was a joke, right? What a pompous dame! Did they say she designed their 8 houses? 8 houses? So much for Mr. Sting's socially conscious crap.

posted on April 15, 2007 at 6:36 AM

heynow wrote:

Awesome writing, dude.

See you later, blogginator.

posted on April 17, 2007 at 10:03 AM

Bnad wrote:

Clearly your time in the law didn't (permanently) dent your writing panache. Your blog has been hilarious reading. Are all PAs in SoCal that funny?
I agreed Carla's loft had more potential for fun, but even cliched fambly pictures beat out 74 books IMO. Possible intimacy problems? But clear talent shining through. I have even higher hopes for Carla than your hopes for Elizabeth.

posted on April 17, 2007 at 4:46 PM

DEE wrote:

Bravo are you insane!!!
It was so clear that Carissa's final project was so much better
than Matts. If you are noy going to be fair don't do the show!!!

posted on April 23, 2007 at 6:23 PM

John Morrison wrote:

Matt.. NYC and the motel misses you much. Get out of LA before you go blind! Come back, your mama misses you so.

posted on April 24, 2007 at 11:56 AM

Makeda wrote:

I love Carissa's design. I like Matt too, but Carissa has a style which more reflects my own personal style. I loved that "jacuzzi" type bed she did. I am relocating to a studio apartment and I am searching for a carpenter who will build one for me.

Kudos!

posted on July 18, 2007 at 11:35 AM

Steve Knowles wrote:

Trying to reach Matt:

Matt, I used to occassionallly perform in the comedy show you hosted at the Village Lantern in Manhattan. Somebody is running a show in the city right now, with a contact name of Matt, so I thought it might be you. When I contacted that Matt, it wasn't you (obviously), but he said you had moved to LA and could be found by Googling "The Assistant's Blog"; so I did. Anyway...just wanted to know if you are doing standup comedy out there. You can email me at beacon1b@yahoo.com. Thanks.

posted on July 27, 2007 at 11:24 AM